Garment for child



July 5, 1966 w. A. GREIE RT GARMENT FOR CHILD Filed Feb. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WALTER E. GRElERT ATTORNEY July 5, 1966 w. A. GREIERT GARMENT FOR CHILD Filed Feb. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WALTER E. GREIERT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,126 GARMENT FOR CHILD Walter A. Greiert, Madison, Wis., assignor to Indianland Enterprises, Inc., Madison, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 344,499 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-134) My invention relates to an improved garment for a child.

One object of my invention is to provide a garment for a child which may be esaily lengthened to grow in size as the child grows.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a garment which may be opened at the bottom to change the childs diaper, leaving the top of the garment closed to protect the childs chest and upper body.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a garment which has two positions, one in which it warmly encloses the childs legs, and one in which it exposes the childs feet, allowing him to walk.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a garment which may be secured to the childs bed or crib to prevent the child from rolling over.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a pattern for my novel garment.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the garment of my invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the garment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial rear view of a modification of my garment.

A preferred pattern for my inventive garment 11 has a front panel 12 and rear panel 13, as shown in FIG. 1. The panels may have any convenient shape, but are generally contoured to the outline of a childs body, as shown. The rear panel 13 is longer than the front panel 12. A hole 14, which will be the opening for the childs head and neck, is located approximately in the center of the pattern 10. Projecting from opposite sides of the hole 14 are tabs 15 which will form the shoulder and sleeves of the garment 11. The front panel 12 is slit from its bottom edge 16 to the hole 14.

The first step in a preferred method of assembling the garment 11 from the pattern 10 is folding the pattern about the center line 17 to match the corresponding parts of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13. The side edge 18 of the front panel 12 is sewn or similarly secured to the corresponding edge 19 of the rear panel 13, and the side edge 20 of the front panel 12 is sewn or similarly secured to the corresponding edge 21 of the rear panel 13. The lower portoin 23 of the longer rear panel 13 is not sewn to the front panel 12. It hangs free to form the flap 24, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The corresponding lower edges 15aof each folded tab 15 are appropriately sewn or similarly secured to form the sleeve 22 of the garment 11. A zipper 25 or other suitable fastening means is attached in the front panel 12 at its slit 26.

When the zipper 25 is closed, as it is in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the flap 24 hangs free, the garment 11 has four openings, a top opening 27 for the childs head and neck, the openings 22a in the two sleeves 22, and a bottom opening 28. If desired, a knitted collar 29 may be attached at the top opening 27, and knitted cuffs 30 may be attached at the ends of the sleeves 22, as shown.

A prime advantage of my garment 11 is its adaptability to two distinct uses. It may be used as a sleeping garment which snugly encloses a childs body and legs; and it may also be used as a robe or play suit in which the childs Patented July 5, 1966 feet are exposed, enabling the child to walk and run. The flap 24 makes possible the two uses.

In one position, the flap 24 is folded over the bottom opening 28 and secured against the outside of the front panel 12. In that position the flap 24 closes the bottom opening 28 to adapt the garment 11 for use as a sleeping garment. To adapt the garment 11 for use as a robe, the flap 24 is folded to a second position in which it is secured to the outside of the rear panel 13. That position of the flap 24 leaves the bottom opening 28 uncovered.

Any conventional fastening means may be used to secure the flap 24 in its positions against the front panel 12 and against the rear panel 13. Snaps and snap fasteners are illustrated in the drawings as one example of such means. The front panel 12 carries a plurality of rows 40, 41 and 42 of snap fasteners 31. The bottom of the front surface 32 of the flap 24 carries a row of snaps 35 which may be inserted in the desired row of snap fasteners 31.

The flap 24 may be secured against the outside of the rear panel 13 by means of a tab 33 carrying a snap fastener 34 and projecting from each side of the garment 11. Each fastener 34 is adapted to engage one of the two outer snaps in the row of snaps 35. To further secure the flap 24 against the rear panel 13, the rear panel 13 may carry one or more snap fasteners 36, and the bottom of the rear surface 37 of the flap 24 may carry one or more corresponding snaps 38. The flap 24 may also be secured to the outside of the rear panel by the snap fasteners 36 and the snaps 38 alone, dispensing with the tabs 33.

The tabs 33 may be used for another purpose. In addition to holding the flap 24, they may also be used to help secure the garment 11 to the rails or bars of the crib or bed in which the child wearing the garment 11 sleeps. For the second purpose, a strap 39, shown in FIG. 2, is fastened to one side of each tab 33, looped around an adjacent crib bar, and then fastened to the other side of the tab 33, if the straps 39 are so fastened, the child in the garment 11 is gently prevented from rolling over. In many situations this may be desirable for reasons of safety or health.

An alternate structure for securing the garment to the crib is shown in FIG. 4. The garment 11 has one or more snap fasteners 43 located on the rear panel 13 near each side of the garment 11. The snap fasteners 43 may be engaged by one or more snaps 46 carried by straps 45 as shown. The straps 45 also have a plurality of snaps 47 and snap fasteners 48 which may be engaged to retain the straps 45 around the bars 49 of a crib. Preferably, loops 44 are attached to the sides of the garment 11 adjacent to the snap fasteners 43. The straps 45 extend between the garment 11 and the loops 44, which substantially prevent the straps 45 from being accidentally pulled away from the garment in such a manner that the snaps 46 are unfastened from the snap fasteners 43.

An additional advantage of my garment 11 is that it may be easily lengthened to grow in size as the child grows. The plurality of rows of snap fasteners 31 make possible the easy lengthening. The garment 11 is shortest when the snaps 35 are fastened to the top row 40 of snap fasteners 31. To lengthen the garment 11, the snaps 35 are fastened to one of the lower rows 41 or 42 of snap fasteners 31. The garment 11 is longest when the snaps 35 are fastened to the bottom row 42 of snap fasteners 31. The longer life promoted by this lengthening makes my garment 11 an economical buy for almost every family.

Another. advantage of my garment 11 becomes apparent when the childs diaper must be changed. Diapers may be changed through the bottom opening 28, which is exposed by unfastening the flap 24 from the front panel 12.

The garment 11 need not be opened at the zipper 25. The

childs sensitive chest and upper body thus remain warmly enclosed by the garment 11 even while the diapers are being changed.

It is understood that my invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A garment for a child, said garment having a top opening for the childs neck, a bottom opening and sleeves, fastening means extending from said top opening substantially to said bottom opening whereby said garment may be opened and closed to facilitate the putting on and the taking off of said garment; a flap extending from the bottom of said garment, said flap being foldable over said bottom opening and against a surface of said garment to close said bottom opening; means to fasten said fiap at a plurality of different positions against said surface of said garment whereby the length of said garment may be varied; a pair of tabs secured to said garment so that one of said tabs extends from each side of said garment, each of said tabs having means thereon for holding said flap in a second position which leaves said bottom opening uncovered by said flap, and a pair of straps adapted to be looped around a portion of a crib and secured to said pair of tabs to prevent the child wearing said garment from rolling over.

2. A garment for a child, said garment having a top opening for the childs neck, -a bottom opening and sleeves, fastening means extending from said top opening substantially to said bottom opening whereby said garment may be opened and closed to put said garment on and to remove said garment from the child, a flap extending from the bottom of said garment, said flap being foldable over said bottom opening and against a surface of said garment to close said bottom opening, means to fasten said flap at a plurality of different positions against said surface of said garment whereby the length of said garment may be varied, and means to fasten said flap in a second position which leaves said bottom opening uncovered by said flap, a pair of straps adapted to be looped around a portion of a crib, snaps and snap fasteners for securing said straps to the side of said garment to prevent the child wearing said garment from rolling over, and loop means attached to said garment adjacent said snaps and snap fasteners to hold said straps in close relation to said garment for preventing said snaps and snap fasteners from being accidentally disengaged by the child wearing the garment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 132,469 5/1942 Murphy 269 X 1,123,278 1/1915 Hallett 128134 X 1,241,699 10/1917 Barnes 269 X 1,292,351 1/1919 Milkes 275 1,365,526 1/1921 Milkes 2270 1,609,286 12/1926 Bernstein 2270 2,230,492 2/1941 Hilby 21 14 X 2,589,708 3/1952 Koster 128134 2,659,086 11/1953 McGrath 269.5 X

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

FRANK J. COHEN, Examiner.

M. I. COLITZ, G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A GARMENT FOR A CHILD, SAID GARMENT HAVING A TOP OPENING FOR THE CHILD''S NECK, A BOTTOM OPENING AND SLEEVES, FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING FROMS SAID TOP OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID BOTTOM OPENING WHEREBY SAID GARMENT MAY BE OPENED AND CLOSED TO FACILITATE THE PUTTING ON AND THE TAKING OFF OF SAID GARMENT; A FLAP EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID GARMENT, SAID FLAP BEING FOLDABLE OVER SAID BOTTOM OPENING AND AGAINST A SURFACE OF SAID GARMENT TO CLOSE SAID BOTTOM OPENING; MEANS TO FASTEN SAID FLAP AT A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT POSITIONS AGAINST SAID SURFACE OF SAID GARMENT WHEREBY THE LENGTH OF SAID GARMENT MAY BE VARIED; A PAIR OF TABS SECURED TO SAID GARMENT SO THAT ONE OF SAID TABS EXTENDS FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID GARMENT, EACH OF SAID TABS HAVING MEANS THEREON FOR HOLDING SAID FLAP IN A SECOND POSITION WHICH LEAVES SAID BOTTOM OPENING UNCOVERED BY SAID FLAP, AND A PAIR OF STRAPS ADAPTED TO BE 